Buttler Steps Down as England’s White-Ball Captain After Champions Trophy Exit
Jos Buttler made the announcement in a pre-match press conference ahead of England’s final game against South Africa.
Following back-to-back defeats and England’s early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy, Buttler has stepped down as captain. The match against South Africa will mark the end of his tenure as England’s white-ball skipper.
Speaking at the press conference on Friday, Buttler said:
“I am stepping down as England captain. This is the right decision for both me and the team. Hopefully, whoever takes over will work with Baz (head coach Brendon McCullum) to take England to the heights we aspire to reach.”
England’s campaign started on a disastrous note, losing to Australia despite posting a massive 351 runs. Their semi-final hopes were crushed when they failed to chase 326 against Afghanistan on Wednesday.
The defeat to Afghanistan sparked heavy criticism of Buttler’s captaincy. After the match, the 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batter had hinted at discussing his future with the team before making a decision.
It’s not just this tournament—England has struggled in ICC events for a while. The defending champions crashed out in the group stage of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Even in last year’s T20 World Cup, though they made it past the group stage, they were comprehensively beaten by India in the semi-final. After yet another disappointing tournament, Buttler has now decided to take responsibility and step aside.
“It was clear that this tournament was crucial—not just for the team’s results, but also for my captaincy. Two losses and an early exit—it feels similar to the previous tournaments. I’ve reached the end of my leadership journey, and it’s incredibly disappointing. I feel heartbroken.”
Buttler took over England’s white-ball captaincy in June 2022 after Eoin Morgan stepped down. Later that year, he led the team to the T20 World Cup title, but success has been hard to come by since. England’s performance has steadily declined, winning just one of their 10 white-ball matches this year. In their last 25 ODIs, they have suffered 18 defeats.
England will play their final Champions Trophy match against South Africa on Saturday in Karachi.
